Reconstruction Delayed: How Presidents and the Southern Civil War Prolonged the End of Reconstruction

Abstract

Reconstruction is one of the most controversial periods in American history. The decade which followed the conclusion of the American Civil War featured debates in the North and extreme violence in the South. The major argument was over what the next steps would be in terms of reuniting the nation after a bloody conflict pitting brother against brother. Historians have confined the era into a twelve year period lasting from 1865 to 1876. However, the goals of Reconstruction were not achieved until well after the election of 1876, and even in 2014, there is still work to be done when it comes to reuniting the country. There is a question which is essential to understanding the era of Reconstruction and the events which have taken place in the United States as a result: Did Reconstruction ever end? This question is more relevant in present times than ever with the first African American President of the United States occupying the White House. Reconstruction never ended; for over half a century the efforts to achieve the goals of reconstructing the nation were not taken. With the onset of the Southern Civil War which consumed the former Confederacy after 1865; the ability to reunite the nation became all but impossible.